Let the Bad Parts In

Let the Bad Parts In
Chapter Seven: Favor for a Friend


As planned, neither Draco nor Hermione brought up that night again and acted as if nothing changed between them. The days passed quickly and they were well into December. Draco had improved in leaps and bounds with his wandless magic, which was starting to make Hermione uneasy. She was becoming nervous about him fulfilling his end of the deal. He hadn't mentioned anything about it since he made her change her hair. She was starting to wonder if he had forgotten about it.

Now Hermione sat starring out the window in the common room. Her legs were curled up against her chest, keeping her balanced on the stone window sill. The ominous clouds have been darkening the skies for the past few days and she prayed that the first snow fall would not come within the next day or two. It would ruin her plan and then they would be behind schedule, and if there was anything Hermione hated most in the world it was to be behind schedule.

The portrait door opened and Hermione turned to watch Malfoy climb through closely followed by Pansy Parkinson. She quickly made eye contact with Draco before bring her gaze back to the window. She heard him tell Pansy quietly to wait up in his room. Hermione smirked at the sound of Pansy's whining.

Once she was sure Pansy was upstairs Hermione muttered "muffliato" under her breath and turned to look at Draco. He came closer to her and she could almost feel the heat from his body. The feeling made her break out in goose bumps. She mentally cursed her treacherous body when she started to feel the butterflies flutter around in her stomach.

"Meet me here tomorrow night at two for our last lesson. Make sure you wear something warm." She said calmly, hoping he wouldn't know how he was making her feel.

"Why?" he asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"You'll have to wait and see." She teased. She slid off the window sill, gently brushing against his body.

With a smirk she climbed through the portrait hole and quickly walked down the hall way to the right. She wanted to get this little meeting done with then head to the library. She hadn't studied for N.E.W.T's at all this week and it was starting to upset her. She also wanted to tame the little green monster that was quickly growing larger by the minute.

She didn't even want to think about what Draco and Pansy were doing right now. Hermione hoped that a trip to the library would help calm her nerves. She was the one that was supposed to be in control of her emotions here and so far she was letting them run amuck. Maybe it was that time of the month. She did a mental count in her head. Yea that was it. She'd have to remember to sneak down the kitchens on her rounds tonight to get some chocolate. She forgot to buy some at Honeydukes the when she went there with Terry.

Hermione came in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady wearily. The woman was currently looking a mirror and fixing her flawless hair.

"Well I haven't seen you in ages, dearie. How fares the Head Common room? I'm sure its not has cozy and highly decorated as mine, but you know you are welcomed here at any time." The woman said. Hermione just nodded her head. She didn't feel like getting into an argument with the Fat Lady about which common room was better because the Head Common room would win hands down.

"Fairy dust." She muttered for the password. With a huff she opened the door and Hermione stepped through.

She had almost forgotten what the Gryffindor common room looked like. There were a few first years scattered around the tables, talking about their homework, others from her grade were lounging around the fire place. She waved to them and walked over.

"Hey Neville. Do you know where Harry and Ron are?" she asked.

Neville looked up from his Herbology book. "They're upstairs in the dorm. They were going over plays for the next Quidditch match."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "The next Quidditch match isn't for another week and a half!"

"You know them, Hermione. They love Quidditch as much as you love books." He laughed.

"Well maybe if they work that hard is class they wouldn't be failing half their courses." She teased as she made her way up the stairs. "See you later Neville." She said with a wave. He waved back and went back to reading his book.

Hermione made her way up the stone steps to the boys' dorm. She turned the corner and walked up the door. She knocked twice and waited for someone to answer it. The sound of pattering feet meet her ears. She took a step back when it opened and smiled when Ron popped his head out.

"Oh, hey 'Mione!" He said. He pulled the door open all the way and she walked in. "What're you up to?"

Hermione looked around the empty dorm. Harry sat on his bed, a model of the Quidditch field in front of him. Notes and papers were scattered everywhere. She pulled a curl behind her ear as she stepped over a dirty pair of pants.

"Um…actually I need a favor." She said. She clasped her hands together and tried to conger the most innocent and angelic look she could muster.

Ron came to stand next to Harry and crossed his arms with a teasing smile. "Harry, did I hear that correctly? Is Hermione, actually coming to us for a favor?"

Harry stood too and took the same position as Ron. "I believe so, Ron. That’s a first isn't it?"

Hermione smiled at them. "Come on guys!"

"Oh you know we're only joking! Seriously, Hermione, what do you need?" Harry said.

"Well, I was wondering if I could borrow the map and cloak for a day or two." She said.

"You're not going to turn it in to McGonagall are you?" he laughed as he went to his trunk and started to dig through it. He grabbed the cloak and the map and walked over to her. Hermione reached out to take it but he held it up above her head so she couldn't get it.

'I really hate being short.!' She thought to herself. She took a step back and remembering what happened last time she was in this situation.

"So do you mind telling us what you plan on doing with these?" he teased.

"I need more time to study and I was hoping to get some late night reading done in the library when I'm not on duty."

"Did you expect anything different then that from our Hermione?" Ron laughed. Harry handed her the items.

"Just make sure you give them back to us, okay?" he said with a smile.

"Why?" she asked with a sly smile. "What are you two planning?"

"Nothing Hermione." They said in union with huge grins on their faces.

"You two have been hanging out with the twins too much." She laughed and headed for the door. Before she opened it she gently put the map and cloak in her bag. "Thanks guys. I owe you one." She waved at them then exited their dorm and went to the library.

When Hermione arrived, she was surprised to see that there were quite a few students sitting at the main tables and a few strays lingering in between the book shelves. With a sigh she walked around the large tables and walked down an empty aisle and made a shark right turn.

The one thing she loved about the library, besides all the books, was that it was like a labyrinth of book shelves. There were millions of small desks to study on and small plush chairs hidden in nooks and crannies that very few students new about. Hermione guessed from the amount of dust on some of the desks and chairs that they haven't been touched by human hands in quite some time.

Hermione stopped walking when she turned down a aisle and found a dust covered desk facing an old window. She could no longer hear the whispers of the other students. The only sound she could hear was the soft flapping of some books flying gently over head and switching places on shelves.

With a heavy sigh she opened up her bag and took out her books and began to study, pushing all her thoughts and worries about the following day to the back of her mind.